Disinfecting apparatus



(-No Model.) 'R. P. PIGTET.

. DISINFEGTING APPARATUS.

No. 531,329. Patented Dec. 25,1894.

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" "UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAOUL PIERRE PICTET, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOGIETE ANONYMEDE LINSTITUT RAOUL PICTET, OF FREYBURG, SWITZER- LAND.

DISINF ECT ING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,329, dated December25, 1894.

I Application filed August 8, 18 94. ,Serial No. 519,733: (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAouL PIERRE PIOTET, a citizen of Switzerland, butnow residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Apparatus for-Disinfecting, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Hitherto three methods of disinfection have been employed by municipalcouncils, railway companies, doctors and surgeons for making aseptic thevarious organic substances vehicles of pathogenic microbes, and "theyare, first, the use of steam; second, the use of sprays of toxicsolutions in particular corroslve sublimate; and third, the use ofgaseous fumigation, chlorine, sulphurous acid, nitrous vapors and thelike. The above three methods are quite inefficient, because they haveno effect on a large number of substances and articles. Moreover, theiruse is often dangerous.

Corn, all kinds of cereals and valuable fabrics cannot be placed instores without deterioration. Hospital stores are greatlyinjured whenplaced in steam at 113.

The main object of my invention is to overcome the above mentionedobjectionable features attending the employment of the hith ertopracticed methods of disinfection.

My invention stated in general terms consists of apparatus fordisinfecting hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention is carried into effect by such apparatus as is illustratedin side elevation in the accompanying drawing and in the followingmanner;

First. The articles to be disinfected are placed in a hermeticallyclosed vessel capable of resisting atmospheric pressure.

Second. A vacuum is created in the vessel by means of an air pump, anexhauster or the like.

Third. The vapors of atoxic body, sulphurous acid or a mixture ofsulphurous and carbonic acids, or chlorine, or the vapors of any knownantiseptics, are introduced into the exhausted vessel.

Fourth. These vapors are left ,to react for a certain time on the bodiesor articles to be disinfected.

Fifth. Thevapors are again exhausted from the vessel and led to a gasometer of a capacity Sixth. Air is allowed to re-enter the vessel inwhich a vacuum has just been formed.

Seventh. The articles or substances are then taken out completelydisinfected.

My invention is of quite general application and may be applied to allsubstances even to those refractory to disinfection, such as cereals,linens and silks.

Referring now particularly to the drawing A, is a chamber or vessel ofany suitable dimensions formed of riveted or soldered sheet iron, whichmay be of sufficient size to contain mattresses, linen, bales of rags,sacks of cereals, hospital-linen, and other articles and if necessaryeven a complete carriage. The

said chamber is of cylindrical form with a movable end or door a, whichis hermetically closed and capable of resisting atmospheric pressure. Itis supported on masonry B, or in any other preferred manner.

The internal capacity of the chamber may Vary between a fraction of acubic meter to two hundred and fifty cubic meters corresponding. tostoves susceptible of holding complete carriages.

G, is an air pump capable of producing a very perfect vacuum. The moreperfect the working of this pump both as to delivery and vacuum thebetter the operation of disinfection succeeds. I

D, is a gasometer of any type and material provided its capacity beequal to or greater than that of the vessel A.

It is preferable to use an oil gasometer such as shown in thedrawing;

The bell E, is immersed in an oil bath contained-between two concentriccylinders e and e, which are separated from each other by a thin layerof oil. The centralcylinder c,

shownin dots is closedat: the top byan airtight cover which supports thepi er, through which the gas of the gasometer enters and leaves. Thisgasometer may accordingtoits. The oil formingthe size be of any shape.

- 'bathmay be mineral or organic and should resistas much aspossible theaction of acids. F, is a pipe connecting the chamber A, iwith the pump0. G, is an outletfrom II, is a pipe connecting the pipe F, with thepipe F.

71,,f,f, g andgflare valves in the various pipes.

I, is the driving pulley of the pump C. K, is a masonry for the pump.L,is a counterweight for controlling the gasometer hell.

M, is a fiy-wheel. The operation of the apparatus hereinbeforedeserihedis as follows: The articlesto be disinfected are placed in the chamberA,

1 whichis thereupon closed. The valves g and g are opened and the othervalves h,f and f 1 closed. The pump is put into action, until there isonly a very small quantity of air in thevessel A, and after stoppingthe'same,-thevalve g, is closed and the valves f and h,are

opened. I The gases pass from the gasometer through the pipes F, H and Fand enterthe vessel or chamber A, where they attain atmospheric'pressure. At the end of one, two

or more hours, as required the pump 0, is

again put into action after having opened the valve/f audclosedthevalvesf and h. The

valve 9, which already is closed is allowed to the pneumatic pump. 1

remain so and the valve 9 is permitted to re main open. The gasesexhausted by thepump are conducted from thechamber A, and are forcedback into the gasometer D. NVhe'nthe vacuum. has become as perfect asbefore, the

pump is stopped and atmospheric air allowed to again enter the vessel A,after having closed the valve 9'. The vessel A, is then opened and thearticles willbe foundto be aseptic and perfectly disinfected and areremoved. By leaving the valves closed, the gas contained in thegasometer is always ready g for use for a fresh operation. Having thusdescribed. the nature and objects of my invention, whatl claim as new,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in an apparatus for disinfecting, of a cylindricalvessel provided with a door in one end arranged to resist atmosphericpressure, an air pump or exhauster connected with said vesselforcreatinga vac- .uum and to permit of antisepticsbeing introduced thereinto re-acton articles. or. bodies to be disinfected in said vessel, meansfor act utingsaid pump or exhauster, a gasometer having an oilseal,-pipes having stop-cocks connecting said vessel with said gasometerandpump and an outlet pipe from said pump having a stop-cock,;substantially as shown and described.

1 In testimony whereof I affix my signatu re in presence of twowitnesses.

, g g RAOUL PIERRE PICTET.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, G. DE MESTRAL.

